Can we expect a series of heated debates in which Peter Shumlin is called upon to prove that he really was born in Brattleboro, on the right side of the river? Will it be questions about his bona fides as a Vermonter because his mother was born in the Netherlands?

Or will the candidacy of Mr. Paige meet the fate of most fringe candidates: little attention and fewer votes?

Stay tuned to find out, but I have a feeling that today's post might be the last thing you hear about Paige's candidacy.

… I was bemoaning the lack of fringe candidates to take advantage of the wide-open spaces on the Republican ticket. I’m aware of the usual profusion of nutbars. But their only gathering place on the Republican side is the three-ring circus that is the GOP primary for Congress.

As for the debates, the venues set the rules for participation. VPT does the fringe cattle call and, really, aside from the comic relief, how many of those do we need each season? Emily “Snarling” Peyton, Cris “Egg Carton Waving” Ericson, H. Brooke “Sie Papiere, Bitte!” Paige – for me, once is enough.